HTC: The smartphone-lover's underdog

Updated: 2 weeks ago

In Short

There's no denying HTC's legacy as a smartphone designer and manufacturer. But it's having a hard time making money in the present-day world.

HTC was making smartphones long before you knew it. Long before the HTC One. Long before Sense. Long before Android, and even before those of us who cut our teeth on Windows Mobile knew those three little letters meant we were going to get something special.

For most of us, HTC as we know it started out as an ODM — an original device manufacturer — essentially a white-label manufacturer. HTC design, only with another company's name on the product. All the way back to 2002, back when XDA was a device and not a website (where did you think the name came from?), though HTC itself was born in Taiwan in 1997 as High-Tech Computer Corporation as a laptop manufacturer. A year later it got into the mobile business.

HTC made the HP iPAQ and the Palm Treo. Shortly thereafter. In October 2009 it adopted the "Quietly Brilliant" slogan. It was the company that did great work, but wasn't flashy about it. The name "HTC" no longer was an insider secret. HTC skinned Windows Mobile with the far more attractive TouchFLO, which ultimately morphed into the Sense user interface we know today. The Windows Mobile-running HTC HD2 was a ridiculously large 4.3-inch device (hey, it was 2009!) that still gets hacker love today. HTC made the first Android smartphone, the HTC Dream — or the G1, depending on who you ask. It was the HTC Hero that brought us the first Android iteration of Sense. HTC made the first "Google phone," the Nexus One.

Fast forward a few years, and we have the likes of the HTC One line, and Sense 6.0.

That's not to say it's all peaches and cream for HTC in its current form. For as beloved as its devices are, the company is struggling to turn a profit. It has nowhere near the marketing budget of rivals like Samsung. (But who does, really?) And the "Quietly Brilliant" slogan has been retired.

30 September 2016By Daniel BaderThere are a lot of smartphones out there, and Taiwanese manufacturer HTC makes some of the best, even if it doesn't sell anywhere near as many phones as the market leaders. This is our round up of the best that HTC has to offer.

27 October 2015 205By Alex DobieHTC's iPhone lookalike hits a lot of important targets. But overall it feels like another near miss for the Taiwanese manufacturer -- especially for buyers outside the U.S.

20 March 2015By Phil NickinsonA beautiful, well-refined Android smartphone phone finds itself — and its manufacturer — fighting against the current once again.
Bottom Line
The HTC One M9 continues the tradition of a beautifully designed, expertly crafted Android smartphone...

21 October 2015 43By Andrew MartonikEvery Android fan knows about the T-Mobile G1 (aka the HTC Dream) as the first Android-powered phone made available to consumers, but before that milestone was this, Sooner.

25 March 2014 340By Phil Nickinson
The HTC One has done what few phones have done before. A year after its release, it still holds up. That’s not always the case with a smartphone, and HTC’s had its share of phones that disappointed in the long-term. The HTC One, however? Still a good buy.
But time is ticking for that original HTC One, also known by its codename, M7. Today, it’s been replaced by a new HTC One. A sleeker, more powerful, slightly larger HTC One. The M8.
And what’s more — it’s available for purchase today.
The original HTC One was the company’s first major push into an all- (OK, mostly) metal construction, milling out a single block of aluminum for what was a pretty striking phone. But the new HTC One? Downright futuristic. More metal. A more impressive design. A bigger display. And the best software HTC’s ever put together, with HTC Sense 6 and its wealth of features running atop Android 4.4.2 KitKat.
The new HTC One is, quite simply, the best smartphone HTC has ever made.
But it’s not without a few quirks. Join us as we walk you through the new HTC One, as only Android Central can do.

26 May 2014By Alex DobieDespite cutting some of the M8's headline features, HTC's latest miniature is a competent all-rounder with plenty to offer
In case you hadn't been paying attention, smartphones are getting bigger. In 2014, a 5-inch display is seen as the minimum for serious contenders in the high-end Android world...

21 November 2016 26By Marc LagaceHTC is “strongly denying” rumors out of China that the Taiwanese tech manufacturer HTC is reportedly planning a sale of their smartphone business. Rumor has it HTC would announce the deal for early 2017.

31 August 2016 102By Harish JonnalagaddaMobile app insights firm Apteligent has published its Android manufacturer update report for July 2016, detailing the track record of manufacturers when it comes to rolling out updates. Outside of Nexus devices, Motorola is the fastest to roll out Marshmallow to its devices in the U.S. and India.

03 August 2016 60By Harish JonnalagaddaHTC posted its Q2 2016 earnings, recording a revenue of $598 million (NT$18.9 billion). That's up 27% from the disastrous first quarter, but a drop of 44% from the same period a year ago.

23 July 2016 26By John CallahamThe mid-range HTC Desire 530 is officially on sale in the U.S. The phone can be purchased unlocked on the company's website for $179, or you can get it from T-Mobile for $159.99 without a contract.

30 June 2016 30By Harish JonnalagaddaLast week, HTC started sending out emails over a closed Sense 8 Home beta test on non-HTC hardware. The closed beta has now kicked off, with HTC giving beta testers access to the HTC 10 launcher and its user feedback app.

23 June 2016 37By Harish JonnalagaddaHTC has been decoupling its apps for some time, and the vendor is now sending out invitations for beta testers to try out Sense 8 Home on non-HTC phones. The requirements for the closed beta include a non-HTC Android phone that's running Android 4.4 KitKat and above.

07 June 2016 2By John CallahamHTC has announced that online orders for its HTC Vive virtual reality headset are now taking two to three business days to ship to customers. In addition, the demo locations for the Vive will expand in June to over 100 retail stores.